What's your favorite island?
 

My research has shown me that there really are quite a few differences between the different Caribbean islands. And some people on this board have traveled quite a lot. What is your favorite and why?

Has to be Jamaica. We were in Negril in May & loved it. The food at 3 Dives was great & the view of the sunset from the cliffs was amazing. The beach is everything you could want & I couldn't believe how clear the water was. We have been FL beach lovers for years but nothing comes close to this. The family wants to try Ocho Rios next time to get a different idea of the tropical scenery.

As for safety... we went off the resort to the craft market, grocery store, Rick's & the lighthouse. Never felt unsafe a minute. Sure the vendors were a bit pushy but then I am from New Orleans & we have the same thing in the French Quarter.

People were so friendly & I was surprised at how much a simple thank you & a smile was valued. We would go back in a minute.

St. John in the USVI is our favorite. It's laid back, low key with fantastic beaches and incredible snorkling. Cool hiking trails, just enough good restaurants too. Plus it's never too crowded. A relatively short flight from NJ and the fact that we don't have to change currency or speak another language also makes it a relaxing place to get away. It's hard to say any islands we've visited have been bad. We tend to be happy just to be on vacation and enjoy the positive things about each place we go...but STJ is one to go back to again and again!

Since I reside in the islands, my favorite island getaway is one that is typically "un-Caribbean." The Dutch island of Saba.

Saba is very small, laid back and quiet. There are no beaches there and the terrain is more mountainous than a lot of the other islands, yet she still has marvelous views. Therefore, we feel more like we are in Montana than the Caribbean. It is one of the few escapes from our usual Caribbean atmospheres.

Jamaica wins with us. It's got all the basic stuff - nice beaches, mountains, waterfalls and such....but a really interesting and developed culture, it's large enough to visit many times and always see new things....plus it's not as Americanized as many other islands which is for us a big plus.

St John!! However favorite
country Bermuda !! Both destinations are by far our first choices and I know there are so many others. I only hope to visit all of them!!!!!!

So far, our favorite island is Anguilla.
Beautiful beaches and people! The
restaurants are awesome and many right on a beach. Every time we go back it feels more like home away from home.
We are trying St. John in Sept., if all goes well with the weather. I really doubt it will beat Anguilla in our
minds; but I do believe the snorkeling and beauty of the landscape/greenery etc., will be much better.

I also have to say Jamaica. Negril is the most relaxing place we have ever been to. Hubbie says St. Lucia for the lush surroundings and mountains...

Jamaica mon! The best food, culture, music and above all...the nicest people in the entire Caribbean! A true escape....especially if Negril is in your itinerary!

I guess it depends on what you're looking for in the island. The beaches on Aruba were the the prettiest--the sand was like baby powder. Grenada-the spice island-smelled like apple pie baking as soon as we landed. The spices were the freshest I ever obtained. Barbados was clean and beautiful, with some of the most breathtaking views from the tops of the cliffs. The natives of Barbados were some of the most welcoming people I have ever encountered. St. Lucia (Marigot Bay) was a lush tropical paradise, and it was the mos magnificent site of the black sand beach where we went scuba diving right off the beach (best birthday ever!!). The most beautiful unspoiled beaches (no people, hotels, etc.) have to be on the deserted east coast of Cozumel. The Plus Side of Cruising is that you can spend a day on an island and decide if you want to go back, and I would definitely go back to each of these!

Barbados for the beaches, Grenada for the spices, scenery and beaches, Martinique and St Martin for the French flavour, Anguilla for it's beaches and chic hotels, Guadeloupe for trekking, hiking, beautiful scenery and lovely beaches, Dominica for nature, St Lucia for the scenery. Bermuda (although not in the Caribbean)for the pink sand and lovely hotels, Bahamas for spectacular beaches and scuba diving.

Next on the list for visiting is Saba for scuba diving.

In addition to staying on a couple of islands we've done a couple of cruises so I've seen quite a few islands. When cruising, when we'd go to an island, we did not stay in port and shop like some cruisers... we truly explored each island we'd been to.

Having said that, St. John is our favorite so far because, quite frankly, it is the most pristine place we've ever been to. 3/4 of the island is maintained by the US National Forest Service. It is a hilly lush tropical coral island, not a flat dried out one, the water is crystal clear- wonderful snorkeling (we swam with sea turtles, stingrays and magnificent fish & coral), the town (Cruz Bay) is quaint and classy with many fine restaurants.

Here's my take on some of the other islands we've visited:

St. Thomas: Beautiful, but the people not too friendly, similar terrain as St. John, but nowhere near as pristine.

St. Croix: Lovely friendly island, but not lush enough for me.

Virgin Gorda: Too dry and scrubby, but the Baths and Devils Bay were probably the most beautiful sights to see... I'd recommend staying on St. John and taking a day trip there!!!

St. Lucia: Magnificent hilly, lush island...The Pitons were to die for!!!However I did not care for the beaches much as it is a volcanic island and the beaches are greyish, not white. I didn't find the water to be as clear (I don't think many people go there for snorkeling or diving).

Antigua: Beautiful... you have diversity there with terrain... arid and flat and hilly and lush... the beaches were beautiful, the people quite friendly there... I would possibly go there again.

Jamaica: VERY lush and beautiful... but very unfriendly people there and not too safe from everything I've read. St. John is more beautiful, and certainly safer... why go there unless you want an all inclusive type vacation at a pretty good price.

Cozumel: Eh... didn't impress me. Can't drink the water there either.

Barbados: Nice... didn't see too much of that island because it rained that day...

Grand Cayman: Very clean FLAT, DRY island with magnificent beaches. magnificent water... swam with the stingrays there which was awesome.
It was the most cosmopolitan island I'd seen.

That's my take on the islands we'd been to so far. I'd like to go St. Kitts and possibly Turks & Caicos some day, but we'll be going back to St. John this March because we need to see TRUE PARADISE again!
Lisa

Jamaica , where we were it was incredibly lush , beautiful , welcoming , friendly locals , vibrant culture . Did not stay at an all inclusive , and cant wait to return . Faith

"Jamaica:.... but very unfriendly people there and not too safe from everything I've read." So far from the truth that it becomes almost laughable! You must've stayed in Trenchtown.

Curacao has really captured our hearts. There was nightlife and it felt safe. We are people who need good food on vacation and found much to sample there, as well as great drinks. It wasn't "exotic" but we loved the entire Dutch thing they have going on. To date, we have not found an island in the Caribbean that we have enjoyed as much. And, because of it's location, the weather is good with very little rain.

Bermuda.
I have been to Bermuda, Bahamas, Mexico, Aruba and Puerto Rico. I am sure there are many beautiful islands! We loved Aruba and would go back in a heartbeat, but my favorite is Bermuda. It is simply a beautiful, friendly place!

Bermuda. It's eye candy and can't get enough of it. Bonus is freedom. You can go all over by ferry, scooters and bus and not be terrified about your safety and not a soul will try to sell you stuff. It's not a tropical experience, but I just can't bring myself to go anywhere else now.

Bermuda is not the "real caribbean". It all depends on what you want. We have been there three times and have since been to Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, BVI, Grenada, Jamaica and Palm Island. These islands are the caribbean. . . We don't have a favorite because we like to check out different islands. In January, we will be in the T&C. . . we shall see!

Jamaica is probably the most beautiful island we have visited--stayed in Runaway Bay and toured Southern Jamaica--loved YS Falls and traveling down the Black River.
Tortola provides the most breathtaking scenery from its hills and much what I envisioned the Caribbean to be like. Easy to get to other nearby islands from Tortola. The small island of Jost Van Dyke had fine white sand and really was a nice place to spend the day. The BVIs are now one of our favorite destinations.
St. Martin -- we love the French side with gorgeous Orient Bay, delicious cuisine, and the french atmosphere. Our second favorite island.
Aruba our favorite island. So comfortable and relaxing--people friendly--great restaurants--long white sand beaches, it's like our second home!
Turks and Caicos. The tops for best beaches and the water is clear. Liked the Ocean Club where we stayed. Prefer to travel to this island for a shorter vacation.
Antigua. Again, beautiful beaches, liked Shirley Heights on Sunday with that fantastic view, nautical history. But the constant vendors on the beach were annoying.
Puerto Rico--have taken a few trips here. San Juan offers the nightlife and some very good restaurants. Lots to do--museums, shopping, tours, forts. Liked the short hike in the Rainforest. Luquillo Beach has the most beautiful tall swaying palm trees and you can walk forever down the beach (as long as its not the weekend). Rent a car and explore this large island.
Visited St. Thomas, St.John and Curacao on a cruise. We would return to St. Thomas on a future trip and take a day trip to St. John. There's a lot to do on St. Thomas.
Really liked the underwater park in Curacao, the pastel buildings and the friendly people.